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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 2 · The Cosmic Manifestation · 10 chapters

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How to study this verse, in six steps
  1. 1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
  2. 2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
  3. 3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
  4. 4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
  5. 5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
  6. 6Write down what touched you. Note the main points in your own notebook.
Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 2.1.14

Who is speaking and story frame

तवाप्येतर्हि कौरव्य सप्ताहं जीवितावधि: ।

उपकल्पय तत्सर्वं तावद्यत्साम्परायिकम् ॥ १४ ॥

tavāpy etarhi kauravya

saptāhaṁ jīvitāvadhiḥ

upakalpaya tat sarvaṁ

tāvad yat sāmparāyikam

Translation

Mahārāja Parīkṣit, now your duration of life is limited to seven more days, so during this time you can perform all those rituals which are needed for the best purpose of your next life.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Prepare Through Hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

  1. 1

    Śukadeva Gosvāmī encouraged Mahārāja Parīkṣit to use his remaining seven days to prepare for the next life. Even a short time could be put to its best purpose.

  2. 2

    The instruction was to take shelter of the sound representation of the Lord and thus attain liberation. Everyone can best prepare for the next life by hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

  3. 3

    These preparations are not merely formal rituals. They include favorable conditions that support spiritual preparation.

Key points from the purport
  • Śukadeva Gosvāmī, after citing the example of Mahārāja Khaṭvāṅga, who prepared himself for the next life within a very short time, encouraged Mahārāja Parīkṣit by saying that since he still had seven days at his disposal, he could easily take advantage of the time to prepare himself for the next life.
  • Indirectly, the Gosvāmī told Mahārāja Parīkṣit that he should take shelter of the sound representation of the Lord for the seven days still remaining in the duration of his life and thus get himself liberated.
  • In other words, everyone can best prepare himself for the next life simply by hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, as it was recited by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāja Parīkṣit.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

How it feels

Death anxiety → Steady attention. The answer to mortality begins with spiritual focus.

Chapters 1–3 of Canto 2: The practice of hearing, remembering and devotion. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 1: The First Step in God Realization

Śukadeva describes the value of conscious living, self-control, and meditation on the Lord’s universal form.

Back to this verse in chapter 2.1
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tavayour
  2. apialso
  3. etarhitherefore
  4. kauravyaO one born in the family of Kuru
  5. saptāhamseven days
  6. jīvitaduration of life
  7. avadhiḥup to the limit of
  8. upakalpayaget them performed
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Mukti · Liberation

    What is real freedom for the soul? · Subject 9 of 10

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 2.1

    In this verse: “hearing”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 2.1

    In this verse: “shelter”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 2.1

    In this verse: “favorable”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can I make hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam a real preparation for life beyond this body?

Practice

Choose a short passage of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and listen to it attentively today.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayPrepare Through Hearing Śrīmad-BhāgavatamThis verse's lesson: one practice and one question for today

Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.

Ask the BhāgavatamHave a question about SB 2.1.14? Get an answer from the verses themselves.